Panel may visit Kalasa-Banduri site next week

BELAGAVI: With the Supreme Court setting a four-week deadline for submission of a report on whether water was diverted by Karnataka via Kalasa nala under the Mahadayi project, the Joint Inspection Committee (JIC) comprising representatives from Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa is expected to arrive at the Kalasa-Banduri project site at Kankumbi, in the third week of March.The Supreme Court had ordered formation of the JIC on February 22. On submission of the report, the apex court is expected to take up hearing of the case on April 4. 

The Maharashtra government named senior engineer Vijaykumar Thorat as its JIC member, Karnataka named executive engineer Krishnojirao, while Goa appointed assistant executive engineer M K Prasad as its representative.Karnataka had appealed to Goa and Maharashtra -- stakeholders in the Mahadayi project -- to expedite the process of visiting the project site for an inspection. The committee will ascertain whether water was diverted via Kalasa nala, after the Supreme Court ordered construction of a wall to halt the flow of water from Mahadayi via Kalasa nala a few years ago.

Meanwhile, sources claimed it would be extremely difficult to enter the tunnels at the Kalasa-Banduri site for an inspection, as there is a huge amount of slush inside.  Despite repeated clarifications issued by Karnataka, the Goa government had filed a contempt petition against Karnataka in the Supreme Court.